Chocolate Steamed Pudding

This is a moist, dense, chocolate cake. It is a very good, and an old-fashioned recipe. It is my dad's and brother's favorite dessert, and usually, someone will make it for them on their birthdays. It requires the use of a 4-cup mold of some sort. You can use one like is in the photos, or you can simply use a small casserole dish. You will want to cover it with a double layer of heavy-duty foil if you don't have a cover for the mold, so no steam gets inside.

Place the mold on top of a rack, inside a large stock pot. I used a metal steamer basket.

Allow cake to cool for about 10 minutes inside the mold, then remove it and allow to cool on a wire rack.

See how creamy the hard sauce gets? I don't know why it is called hard sauce, because it is actually a very thick frosting - almost tastes like the frosting on wedding cakes. At any rate, this stuff is so good!

Printable Recipe


1 egg
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup milk

Cream the egg, sugar, butter and chocolate, until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and cream of tartar. Beat into the chocolate mixture, alternately with the milk. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 1 - quart mold, or casserole dish.

Cover the mold or casserole dish, very tightly, with foil, Place inside a large pot, on top of a rack. Add enough water so that it is halfway up the mold. Bring water to a quick boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and steam for 2 hours. You may have to check to make sure there is still water in the pot, during the cooking time. When done, loosen the edges with a knife, and cool in dish for at least 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Serve with Creamy Hard Sauce.


This doesn't make a whole lot, so you might want to double this

Creamy Hard Sauce

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup pwd sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk

Cream the butter, thoroughly. Slowly add the pwd sugar, and beat until it is as light as whipped cream. (Note: this will take a while, and you might think it will never fully incorporate, but it will, with time.) Beat in the vanilla and milk, drop by drop, until light and fluffy.

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Printable Recipe


I found this recipe on How Sweet It Is.  The pictures on Jessica's site are gorgeous, and I knew mine would pale by comparison, but I was pretty sure that they would taste almost as good as hers looked ... and I was right.  The filling is downright velvety, smooth and just melts in your mouth and the ganache is scrumptious, too.

I probably over baked the brownies somewhat, so next time, I will take them out of the oven just as soon as they are set.  Otherwise, you can't really go wrong with this recipe.  Thank you Jessica, because of you, I have found a new family favorite!

This recipe is made in an 8 x 8" baking pan, but I doubled the recipe, making it in a 9 x 13" pan.

Brownie Layer
 1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

Peppermint Pattie Layer
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Ganache Layer
 3 1/2 oz dark chocolate, finely chpd (since I doubled the recipe, and I used a 4 oz bar of dark chocolate, I also used 3 oz of semi sweet mini chocolate chips)
2 1/2 tbsp heavy cream


To make the brownies
 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8" baking pan. (Next time I will line the pan with parchment paper, as well.)

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract and using a whisk, combine until almost smooth.  Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder salt and baking soda.  I would suggest sifting it all together first.  Stir into the batter with the whisk, just until combined.  Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.  Spread into the prepared pan and bake 350 degrees, 25 - 30 minutes until set.  Let cool.

To make the peppermint pattie filling
Combine the powdered sugar, butter, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add more evaporated milk if desired. Spread evenly over the brownies.  Chill in pan in the refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes.

To make the Ganache
Place the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl.  Heat the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate, stirring for a few minutes until smooth.  Spread evenly over the peppermint pattie layer.  Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.  I stored these in the refrigerator.  These were gone in just a couple of days!

Homemade Almond Joy Candies

So, here are the Almond Joy Candies.  Sorry that this picture isn't the greatest, but it will give you a closer look.  

                            

Years ago, my aunt Dorothy made candies similar to these.  They were lovingly named Do-Do Balls, and she was quite famous for them.  She rolled them into balls, rather than forming them into logs.  I don't recall that they had almonds in them.

These candies are so good and taste much like the real thing, only better, since they are so FRESH!  I found the recipe at Cooking with K

I admit that they are time consuming, since they make a lot of candies.  The somewhat difficult part it dipping them in the chocolate.  I would advise that you keep a bowl of the chocolate over very warm, simmering water, to keep the chocolate melted so that it does not cool off so much that it begins to set up.  I found a tip on Pinterest, suggesting that when dipping candies in chocolate, that you heat up water and then put it in a crock pot and set the bowl of melted chocolate over that.  I don't know if you'd want to set it to high, or low, but that would probably be a good idea and is should keep the chocolate melted the entire time.  I will try it the next time I make these.

I suggest making them small.  When pressing the almond on top before dipping, don't press down too hard, because you want to be able to see the almond underneath the chocolate.

Printable Recipe

2 (14-oz) bags sweetened shredded coconut
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

2 (24-oz) packages chocolate almond bark
1 - 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, roasted (I used Blue Diamond Roasted Salted Diamonds)

In a large bowl, blend the coconut, powdered sugar, butter, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.  You can do this with a heavy-duty spoon or you may have to actually combine it by hand.  At Cooking With K, she uses a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment and combines the ingredients a little at a time.  The mixture will be thick.  Chill it for about 30 minutes or more for easier handling.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove the coconut mixture from the refrigerator and form them into logs, about 2 inches long and 3/4 of an inch thick.  I actually prefer them smaller than that.  Press the coconut mixture together well, so that they don't fall apart or crack while being dipped.  Place the candies on another parchment-lined cookie sheet and continue until all the coconut mixture is gone. You will need to periodically rinse off your hands as they will get sticky from the mixture.  Press an almond in the center of each candy, but not down too far, because you want the almond to be visible underneath the chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in the top of a double boiler until it is completely melted and smooth.  Place a candy on a meat fork and dip the bottom into the chocolate.  Using a spoon, scoop the chocolate over the candy until covered.  Gently tap the fork onto the sides of the bowl to release the extra chocolate.  Using a toothpick, gently slide the candy off of the fork and onto another parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Chill once again until the chocolate is hardened.  If the chocolate sets up too much and hardens, place the bowl into the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.  As I suggested in my notes above, place the bowl of chocolate over a crock pot of very warm to hot water and set the crock pot to low (or high) to keep the chocolate melted during the entire process.  When I made these, I did not do this, and I had trouble keeping the chocolate melted long enough.  I will try this trick the next time.  This is the part of the process that is so time consuming, but be patient and get someone to help you if you can.  They are very worth all the work.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container with waxed paper separating the layers.  They also freeze well.

Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark

I made all of these candies for Christmas gifts, and still had plenty left over for dessert (this doesn't even show how much I put away in the freezer).  I made Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark, Homemade Almond Joy Candies and Nut Goodie Bars.  I will be posting the rest of the recipes over the next few days.

Let's start with the Reese's Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark.  I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction.    It's very easy to make and goes together quickly.

Printable Recipe

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

16 oz white almond bark

1/2 cup Reese's Pieces candies
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a ziplock bag, crush the Reese's Pieces and peanut butter chips with a rolling pin and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

In another bowl set over a bowl of simmering hot water, melt the white almond bark until melted and smooth.  Pour half into the parchment-lined pan and spread out evenly.  Chill for a few minutes until set.  Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the bark layer and spread evenly.  Pour the remaining white bark over on top and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the crushed candies and peanut butter chips.  If desired, if you have any leftover melted bark, drizzle over on top of the candies.  Chill until set and cut up into pieces.

Egg Bake

This is fresh out of the oven.

Printable Recipe

My sister Sandy, made this Egg Bake for our family's breakfast on Christmas Day.  It is delicious, and the recipe is pretty versatile.  For any vegetarians, you can easily leave out the meat.  For any that don't like cheese, that can be left out, as well.

1 pkg Jimmy Dean Sausage (cooked, crumbled and drained)
green and/or red bell pepper, diced, and cooked along with the sausage
onion, diced, and cooked along with the sausage
4 cups cubed, day-old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk (my sister used 2 cups skim milk and 2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder (my sister did not add, since she used fresh onion)

Place bread in a well-buttered 9x13" baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, pepper and onion salt, if using and pour over the bread and cheese.  Sprinkle with the sausage, pepper and onion mixture.  Cover and chill overnight.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until cooked all the way through in the center, and the center is set.  Tent baking dish with foil, if the top browns too quickly.

Remove from the oven and allow to set up for easier cutting, about 10 minutes.  Serve.

See how deep and velvety it is?

Chow Mein Hotdish

Printable Recipe

I think everyone has had this at one time or another, at least those of my generation. This is the version my mother made.

1 lb hamburger
1 cup diced celery
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cups water
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a large skillet, brown the hamburger, celery and onion until hamburger is browned, drain. Add remaining ingredients and stir until completely combined and pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan.  Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour. If desired, sprinkle with chow mein noodles, peanuts or cashews.

State Fair Subs

Printable Recipe


I got this recipe from Taste of Home's "Quick Cooking" magazine in 2001. They are one of my son's favorite sandwiches.

1 (1 - lb) loaf French Bread (I use hoagie buns)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 lb hot Italian sausage
chopped onion, optional
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cut bread in half lengthwise, and carefully hollow out top and bottom of loaf, leaving a 1" shell. Cube the removed bread. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat; set aside.

In a skillet, over medium heat, cook sausage and onion until the meat is no longer pink, drain. Add the sausage to the bread mixture. Spoon filling into the bread shells, sprinkle with cheese. Wrap each in foil and bake 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Cut into serving-sized slices.

Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Snack Crackers

Printable Recipe

These have been all over Pinterest, and I've been wanting to make them.  I recently had a chance to taste them at work, and they are so good!  They're pretty addictive, too.  There is some leeway in the amount of seasonings, but I will post the amounts I used.  Most recipes call for garlic powder but I don't really like garlic, though I can tolerate it in small doses if it is in garlic salt.  Some recipes call for the addition of lemon-pepper - I think I will try adding some of that, next time.


1 (16-oz) bag oyster crackers 
1 (1-oz) packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing Mix (dry mix)
1/4 cup Canola or Vegetable oil
1 tsp dill weed
3/8 tsp garlic salt

Pour the crackers into a large bowl.  Drizzle on the canola oil and stir the crackers to evenly coat.  You might think it won't be enough oil to coat all the crackers, but it is.  Sprinkle on the Ranch dressing mix, the dill weed and garlic salt.  Stir again to evenly coat.  Spread on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake 250° for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Store in a tightly covered container.

(White Chocolate) M & M Sugar Cookies

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up

These are excellent cookies! 

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

dash salt

1 (12-oz) bag M&Ms (I used the White Chocolate M&Ms ... the bags only come in one size, and I used about 1 1/2 bags.  These may only be seasonal; but I'm sure these cookies would be great with the plain M&ms or any other flavor M&M, you may want to try.)

sugar for rolling the cookies in before baking.

Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cup of sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt and stir into the cookie dough in thirds, beating just until combined.  Stir in the M&Ms by hand.

Form into balls, about 2" in size, and roll in in the sugar.  I made some cookies plain, without the M&Ms, and those, I flattened slightly with the bottom of a glass.  They turned out quite flat.  The ones with the M&Ms, were thicker, mostly because I did not flatten them.  Bake 350° for about 8 minutes, or until just beginning to brown around the edges.  Allow to cool a few minutes on the baking sheet and then finish cooling them on a wire rack.

Monster Cookies

Printable Recipe

I'm sure everyone has seen or tried a Monster cookie before.  These are pretty versatile and you can add just about anything you want ... raisins, (chocolate-covered raisins would be good), nuts, anything that suits you.  And they contain no flour! 

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp corn syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms

Cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar and corn syrup until well mixed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Beat in the peanut butter.  Beat in the oatmeal, baking soda, chocolate chips and M&Ms until thoroughly combined.  Scoop onto cookie sheets and bake 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes, or until browned.  Length of baking time will depend upon the size of the cookie.  Larger cookies may take up to 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate and Mint Chip Cookies

Printable Recipe

I found this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod.  They are very good, and very fudgy.  There is no egg, but the dough is not crumbly.  Don't use a cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, or else the will turn craggy and look not so appealing.  Roll them into balls.  No need to flatten them.


1-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa-make sure to use dutch process for a rich/dark flavor
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed and room temp
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 (12-oz) bag of Nestle Dark Chocolate & Mint Chips (Original recipe calls for Guittard Mint Chips, but I can't find them anywhere, so I used the Nestle chips)

Stir together the flour, baking pwd, salt and cocoa and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla, mixing in well.  Add the flour mixture and milk alternately, until combined.  Add the dark chocolate and mint chips.  Chill for at least 15 minutes.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets 325 degrees for 14 - 15 minutes.  Cool completely on the cookie sheet so that they can firm up.  Store in an airtight container.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

8 medium sweet potatoes (or 2 cans)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Prepare, cook sweet potatoes until tender. Drain, peel and cut into 1/2" slices and place into a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.  Layer 1/2 of each of the first 4 ingredients. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered, 375 degrees 30 - 40 minutes or until glazed.  Sprinkle with the marshmallows.  Bake 5 minutes or until browned.

Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches

First, a little rant .... My camera sucks!  It devours batteries like you would not believe!  I put brand new batteries in it, and can take maybe one picture, and then the batteries die!  I am not kidding.  Other times, they will last accordingly.  So for now, I will have to post recipes without any pictures.  Can anyone recommend a good camera for not a lot of money?

Now onto the recipe:  I combined two recipes for this one.  It's very versatile and you can make it as spicy as you'd like.  This can be made in the crock pot, on top of the stove, or in the oven.


Printable Recipe

a 3-4 pound chuck roast, trimmed of fat
a bit of olive oil
dried thyme leaves
dried oregano leaves
dried basil leaves
salt
pepper
1 can Swanson Beef broth
1/2 to 1 whole (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes, or more if desired
beef boullion granules, optional

Brown the roast in a heavy skillet in a bit of olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle on the thyme,oregano, basil, salt and pepper (enough to cover the surface of the meat) on both sides and brown again on both sides, for just about a minute, or so.  Place roast in a crock pot. Pour the beef broth, tomatoes and water into the skillet and bring to a boil.  Use a rubber spatula and scrape the bottom of the pan, scraping up the browned bits of meat.  Pour over the meat in the crock pot.  Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes.  Cover crock pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or HIGH for 5 hours; or until meat is tender.  Turn roast over halfway through cooking.  When meat has finished cooking, shred it using two forks and then return it to the broth in the crock pot.  If you want a beefier flavor, add the beef boullion - maybe a tsp.  Serve on buns or kaiser rolls with the broth on the side for dipping your sandwiches into.


To cook on the stovetop, simmer in a covered pan for about 2 hours.

To cook in the oven, cook in a covered roasting pan at 300 degrees for 5 hours.

Crock Pot Chili

Have you tried any of the new McCormick Slow Cookers Seasoning mixes?  I've only tried two so far, but they are pretty tasty!  If you don't like your chili spicy, add 1-2 cans of tomato paste.

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1 pkg McCormick Slow Cookers Chili Seasoning mix
2 lbs hamburger
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 1/2 oz) can tomato sauce
1-2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste, optional

Brown the hamburger and drain. Place in crock pot, and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and cover.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours.  Stir well before serving.

Apple Crisp

Printable Recipe


2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1-2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, cut into small chunks

6 cups peeled and cored apple slices
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Mix the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, salt and butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Press 1/3 of this mixture into a greased 9 x 13" pan.

Peel, core and thinly slice apple. Place in a large bowl, and add the sugar and cinnamon. Stir until well coated. Layer the apples over the crust in the pan. Top with the remaining 2/3 of the crumb mixture. Bake 375 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the crust, golden brown.

Good & Easy Beef Stew

Printable Recipe 

This is a very good recipe.  The extra ingredients of lemon juice, allspice and Worcestershire give it a different flavor from your traditional beef stew recipes.  Try it - you won't be disappointed!

2 lb stew meat, or chuck roast cut into 1" cubes
paprika, optional
4 cups hot water
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 - 1 tsp salt, or more, to taste
1/4 pepper
pinch allspice
1 tsp sugar
1 medium onion, cut up
6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3-5 potatoes, peeled and cut up

Brown the meat in a bit of oil in a heavy skillet.  Do this in batches, if necessary. Drain.  Add the water, bouillon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, salt, pepper, allspice, sugar and half of the onion.  Bring to a boil and cover.  Reduce flame and simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the met is almost tender.  Add the vegetables and bring to another boil.  Cover and simmer for another 20 - 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Thicken for gravy with a mixture of flour and cold water.

Additional bouillon may be added, if you want a beefier flavor.

Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes

Printable Recipe


I've discovered this recipe for Roasted Potatoes in Cooks Country Magazine quite a while ago, and they are very, very good. The cornstarch is what helps to make these so crispy.  I use new potatoes, the little red ones, but the large red potatoes should work just as well.

 
2 lbs large red potatoes (I use new potatoes) scrubbed, dried and each cut into 8 wedges (I just cut into smallish chunks)
1 tbsp cornstarch (This is key to them turning out so crispy)
1/2 tsp garlic pwd (I'm not real fond of garlic, so I don't add it)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp grated lemon zest

1. Adjust the oven rack to upper-middle position, place a rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, toss potatoes, cornstarch, garlic pwd, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Carefully remove preheated baking sheet from oven, add oil, and tilt baking sheet to evenly coat with oil. Place potatoes, cut side down in single layer, on baking sheet. Roast until browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.

3. While potatoes roast, mix butter, garlic, parsley and lemon zest together in a medium bowl. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using a metal spatula, turn potatoes skin side down. Roast until potatoes are crisp and deep golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes.

4. Transfer potatoes to bowl with the butter and toss until evenly coated. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Note: I do not use the flavored butter at all, but just serve them as is.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

My sister told me about this recipe and I made them yesterday. They are very good, and quite easy to make. It uses a seasoning packet and is made in the crock pot, so the meat turns out very tender. You could easily use your own homemade sauce, or a bottled one, but this is very good, too. It has a nice, smokey flavor to it.

Printable Recipe

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, well trimmed of fat (I used a boneless pork loin roast)
1 pkg McCormick "Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning"
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

Place pork in crock pot. In a bowl or saucepan, mix together the seasoning packet, ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar and pour over the roast. Cover. Cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and using two forks, shred meat. Return meat to crock pot and continue cooking for about 5 - 10 minutes to heat the meat back up. The sauce is quite thin, so you may want to add a little bit of bottled bbq sauce if you desire a thicker sauce. However, if allowed to sit for several minutes, the meat will absorb much of the sauce. Serve on buns.

The roast I had was closer to 5 pounds, so I cut it down to 3 pounds. If your roast is larger, you will need to cook it longer than the specified time.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

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I browse a lot of cooking blogs and recently found this recipe on
Elle's New England Kitchen.  These cookies are very good!  They stay soft and still taste fresh, even a few days later!  I cut the recipe in half, and they still made quite a few cookies.  You mix together a mixture of butter, peanut butter, and honey that you then add to the cookie dough.

Note: The recipe calls for 4 oz. of honey in the peanut butter mixture, and I wasn't sure if it means by weight or by volume, and if it even makes a difference in the way you measure it out.  I will have to contact Elle and ask her.  I did measure it by weight and the peanut butter mixture seemed a little runny, but in the end, the cookies still tasted great.  However, they did seem a little on the thin side and I had to cool them completely on the cookie sheets before removing them.  Maybe next time I will use a measuring cup instead of weighing it, and see if that makes a difference.  Perhaps chilling the dough before baking will help, too.

I divided the dough in half and used Reeses Pieces in half, and milk chocolate chips in the other half.  These are definitely a new favorite!

See the original recipe here.


2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temp
1/4 cup shortening, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut butter mixture (see below)
1/2 (10 oz) bag Mini Reese's Pieces

Peanut Butter Mixture
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, room temp
2 tbsp honey

Mix together the peanut butter mixture and set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the 3/4 cup of butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one. Add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in thirds and beat on low speed until mixed in.

Roll into large balls and bake 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size of the ball of dough. Do not over bake.  Remove from oven when lightly golden brown.  They will set up nicely as they cool.  Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to a cooling rack to cool thoroughly.  Store in an airtight container.

Easy Chicken Tacos

 Printable Recipe

This recipe comes from Cooks Country, the August/September, 2009 edition.  As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make them. The recipe calls for canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. You can find them in the ethnic section of your grocery store. I've never used them before, so I didn't know what to expect. They have a kick to them, but not too spicy, and the sauce has a nice, smokey flavor to it. These tacos are simple to make and can be ready in under 30 minutes (or so). Next time, I might even double the sauce because I used about 1 1/4 pounds of chicken, rather than the 1 1/2 pounds called for and the sauce gets completely absorbed by the chicken; it would be nice if there were some extra.

3 tbsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced (I did not use)
2 tsp minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1/2 cup orange juice (not frozen concentrate)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard (I am not a fan of mustard, and even though this is such a small amount, I could still taste it, so I may not use it next time - I don't think it would be missed)
salt and pepper, to taste

12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Warm the flour tortillas, wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet. bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. (Do this, as they get nice and warm and steamed and it tasted better than if they are warmed in a skillet on the stove, or even eaten cold.)

To poach the chicken, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire, and 1/2 cup of the chpd cilantro and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, until meat registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 10-15 minutes, flipping chicken over halfway through cooking time. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid is reduces to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, whisk in the mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup chpd cilantro and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with shredded lettuce and chpd tomatoes, grated cheese, and sour cream. If you like, add a little additional chpd chipotle chilies, as well.

UPDATE:
I just made these again for a second time, and I did just a couple of minor things differently: I pounded the chicken into an even thickness, which really helped them to cook more evenly; so they turned out more tender than they did the first time around.

Secondly, I doubled the sauce and did not add the mustard. I did not reduce the sauce before adding the shredded chicken, but I added it immediately. I then let it all cook a few minutes uncovered, until the sauce was thickened and absorbed by the chicken.

Certainly, add the mustard if you want - I just don't like the taste of it and I didn't miss it any (but then why would I? :] )